37 replies to this topic

[vectra666]

People above say if these fobts go then half the bookies will go, yes people will lose their jobs but what was in these shops before the bookies took over? I'm sure the high street will re generate itself with out the six plus bookies to every town up n down the country. I remember the days when there was just one bookie per town now there's at least two three each. Maybe if they reduce the amount staked then the arcades may see a come back?
Of course the book maker could regenerate itself! Why not combine the two an arcade and a bookies in one? Bingo halls have down this?
But as also said you can blow £100 a spin which is bad, but you can also blow your entire savings on a 30 second dog race! What's the difference, I suppose you can win more from a dog race than the capped £500.
Problem with today's carefree society there's far to much gambling availble.
Online slots bet upto £500 plus but you can win a hell of a lot more than £500 per spin I did on 50p/£1k!!
Scratch cards, they're everywhere in your face at checkouts everywhere, and again I've said this before, you can't gamble on slots machine, bingo etc till 18 so why are 16yr olds allowed lottery n scratches! In my eyes it's still gambling, The term lottery is basically numbers being picked out at random which is the same as bingo yet you've gotta be 18 to play for money.
Just think less bookies equals more charity shops, kebab shop and shit shops

[ZorroJnr]

While the regulator for bookies is saying the average spend on a FOBT is around £6.75 there is not way anything will ever change!!!

AOBB i think its called.

Good luck in the quest for stake reduction or even removal of these machines

[robinhood75]

The thing is you say about all these job losses etc. But the point is these jobs where not here 18/24/36 months ago. Its only due to the greedy companies trying to get around the minimum 4 machines per shop rules by placing two or more shops within 1 minutes walk of each other that all these insecure jobs exist. 

 

The rules should not just apply to shops but also online too. Any gambling that takes place in the UK should be restricted regardless of where your business is registered. Seaside towns should limit the age to 17 for slot machines and 12 years for 2p 10p pushers. 

The bookies are failing to there own greed. Live by the sword die by the sword. 

[gemini17]

Hi all

 

An update to this post.

As I previously stated in my replies to this post a consultation is currently taking place whereby the dreaded FOBT may be reduced down to a maximum stake of £2.

Here is the update on the BBC website.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41814465

 

Jay

[aaamusements]

Hi all

 

An update to this post.

As I previously stated in my replies to this post a consultation is currently taking place whereby the dreaded FOBT may be reduced down to a maximum stake of £2.

Here is the update on the BBC website.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41814465

 

Jay

 

 

I'll wager it won't though, as the limit being considered might range between £2 and £50.

[stardust]

 

 

I'll wager it won't though, as the limit being considered might range between £2 and £50.

 

So it'll be £50 then... we all know where the money is being made, by both gaming companies and government taxes

[aaamusements]

 

So it'll be £50 then... we all know where the money is being made, by both gaming companies and government taxes

 

Yes that reflects my own cynical viewpoint on the subject!

 

We all know that the relatively new Machine Games Duty was set up more or less specifically to make sure that a bigger slice was taken from the massive amounts that are being raked in by these machines.

[nick_uk_911]

The bookies rely on them as we all know, they are the main source of income, as a fairly regular sports-betting punter i have on occasion when in town used the bookies to place a £5 or £10 acca, and i'll often check what odds i would have got on betfair online when i get back home, sometimes the odds are such a rip off in the bookies. I've had a 20/1 in the bookies treble that has been 32/34/1 online. The correct scores say 3-0 3-1 scorelines are about 16/1 and on betfair exchange you can get 28/35/1 on the same scores.  Most people know the odds they offer are scandalous hence why the machines are the driving force for profits . 

[nails]

well, i dont know the result yet, but only 2% bet over £50 a spin...

 

i reckon they will cap around the £50 and lengthen the spin/time before next bet.

 

 

 

tax is tax, cant see them shooting themselves in the foot....

[127127]

Seen a friend of mine nearly lose his business because of these fobt's back in 2002/3 when they arrived.

It seems the norm today people feeding notes into them on a losing streak--I was lucky that it never appealed to me

I always believe roulette is a casino game for hi stake gambling--not in a chavvy betting shop with some geezer

gazing over at you when u play.

Hopefully this legislation will lower the stake to imho around £5 or £10 per spin  (not £2 as thats on par with arcade machines) so as to keep the element of a higher gamble than a standard arcade. 

[fruitsnappa]

Probably said before. But can you not lose 10's 100's 1000's betting on a horse given the opportunity? 

[aaamusements]

Probably said before. But can you not lose 10's 100's 1000's betting on a horse given the opportunity?

Yup!

http://www.fruit-emu...inals/?p=309268

[aaamusements]

Familiar face in the news:

http://news.sky.com/...minals-11106692

[robinhood75]

I'm against them, I have been for years - however I do have to pose the question:
In that same bookmaker I can put thousands of pounds, in one go, on a horse.
What's the difference?

The difference is the formula of gambling. I work at Cheltenham race course during the season but don't place bets on horses. It's just not something I like to do it's not for me. The races are not every 20 seconds even at several meetings.

[gemini17]

 

 

I'll wager it won't though, as the limit being considered might range between £2 and £50.

What ever the outcome the good thing is it is now at least, been addressed across many media platforms.

Highlighted today on the BBC site,a piece highlighted on the BBC news and a full topic of discussion on the Daily politics show.

And what ever the decrease in stake will be,the government will always profit from this.

I can see the stake been reduced to £2 but I also see that other taxes on gaming machines will raise their ugly head,yet again. Like the 20% tax that was stopped on all gaming machines-I see something like this getting re introduced.

Either way the state will never be the loser and nor will the high street bookies.

 

 

Jay

Edited by gemini17, 31 October 2017 - 11:04 PM.

[FRUITJUNKIE1971]

I would like to know where mr average gets there money from to spend allday on these things,as my weekly wage wouldn't last 1 minute.Spoke to a manager in a family arcade on a seaside trip and he says its killing them off?? So just imagine going to the seaside in ten years to see theres no arcades is it possible 

I hope that last part does'nt happen, i know seaside arcades are a shadow of what they used to be, but to not have them at the seaside would be like fish without the chips... i am a casual gamer so just like the odd few quid here and there on fruit machines and love a race or three on arcade driving games.

[gemini17]

I hope that last part does'nt happen, i know seaside arcades are a shadow of what they used to be, but to not have them at the seaside would be like fish without the chips... i am a casual gamer so just like the odd few quid here and there on fruit machines and love a race or three on arcade driving games.

I am 8 mile away from what was and used to be the flagship of Seaside towns-Blackpool.

And in living here for the last 6 years and getting to know many local arcade owners and the staff within them,the bigger picture is very bleak.

Last week the resort saw numbers of people it has not seen in some 15/20 years-it was fantastic to see and great for the many business owners(up and down the coast)many who have had/witnessed the worst season on record!

Alas one week of glory does not salvage a dire season.

And there are arcade owners who are on the brink of receivership.

I know at least 3 arcade owners who have just broke even over the year and that is beyond alarming.

The problem isn't the bookies and there money box FOBT'S,the main problem lies online with the gaming industry. As people will rather stay in than go out.

But also (here in the North) we are still in many places in pockets of recession as many folk don't have the same level of surplus income that they once had.

And we also have a very lame council who rather than promote and invest in the failing arcade coastal industry,just appear to be letting it slowly erode into the Irish sea.

I have to say though on a more positive note I have witnessed in other areas of the country that there are signs of change as some councils do appear to be putting more into there local communities. 

But I can only see the decline continuing unless huge investment is put into the local coastal communities.

 

Jay

Edited by gemini17, 03 November 2017 - 01:15 AM.

[hold the bells]

The bookies grew at a time when any employment increase was good news.

 

Their reason was to get as many shops as they could,  staffed by zero hour staff with 4 FOBT in each and make 50K or more per machine per year

 

I even have seen them in old bank buildings in Leeds.

 

Too many of them, stakes\Prizes are a joke and they do nothing to help addicts